Signal device



Aug. 18, 1936. -J AcE SIGNAL DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 50, 1923 d y a w l z Z 1, I 2 h w J a Z N Z W 7 I .M a Y 2 f l 0 3 \4 l l x/ ///H///// 1 1 I. 3 W s INVENTOR Aug 18 1936 c. F. WALLACE 2,051,505

' SIGNAL DEVICE Filed July 50, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 z Z 3 INVENTOR B4,; A TTORNEV 'Aug. 18, 1936.

C. F. WALLACE SIGNAL DEVICE Filed July 30, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR 4/; ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 18, 1936 UNITED STATES SIGNAL DEVICE Charles F. Wallace, Westileld, N.

Wallace 8; Ticrnan Products, Inc.,

1., assignor to Belleville,

N. 1., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 30, 1928, Serial No. 296,280

' 8 Claims. (Cl. 177-329) This invention relates to signal devicesor apparatus. The invention has been made especially with the idea of providing an improved self-contained electrically operated flashing lantern for use as a land or marine traflic warning or other signal light, although flashing light apparatus according to the invention may be used for other purposes.

The invention aims especially to provide an improved flashing lantern which is not affected by exposure to dampness, rain or other water. or dust; and which is self-contained, compact, and of relatively light weight so as to be, it desired, readily portable by hand. To these ends, the invention consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

A full understanding of the invention can best be given by a detailed description of a portable flashing lantern embodying the various features of the invention in an approved form, and such a description will now be given in connection with the accompanying drawings showing such an approved construction, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the apparatus, the automatic controlling mechanism being shown in end elevation looking from the left of Fig. 2;

V Fig. 1a is a detail side view of one of fastening means for securing the cover of the battery casing to the body of the casing;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the controlling mechanism looking from the right of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the controlling mechanism looking in the same direction as Fig. 2;

Fig. 1, looking upward;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 1, looking downward, the terminal nuts being removed; and V Fig. 8 is a sectional plan view of the battery container with the battery cells removed, showing the bottom of the container.

In the apparatus shown, the signal device proper is an incandescent electric light, or lamp A, which is mounted at the central or focal point of a Fresnel lens B and which receives current through a circuit controlled by a circuit-controlling mechanlsm C, the current being supplied from .a dry cell battery D which is conveniently contained in a casing or container E on which the lens is mounted.

The battery casing E in the particular construction shown is a vertical, cylindrical container having a body portion l open at the top, and a 6 flanged cover I l adapted to tightly close the open top of the body ill. The lens B is mounted on the cover and held clamped between the cover and a cap 12. The cap I2 is secured and drawn downward toward the cover by means of tension 10 rods l5, and when the device, or lantern, is intended for portable use, it is conveniently provided with bail handle IS the ends of which are secured by the upper ends of the tie rods i5.

Removably secured to, the under side of the cover ll so as to be housed within the battery casing when the cover is positioned on the casing body in, is a closed container within which is mounted the circuit-controlling mechanism C and from the upper wall of which a hollow lamp- 90 supporting post 2| extends upward, the post 2| passing through an opening 22 in the cover ll when the casing 20 is secured in position against the under side of the cover. The post 2| has at its upper end a lamp socket 23, and is of such height and so positioned laterally with respect to the lens B that the filament of the lamp A set in the socket 23 is located at, or approximately at,

' the focal point of the lens. The lens will usually be located centrally of the cover II and the opening through which the lamp post 2| extends will then be at the center of the cover II.

The dry cell battery D, by which current is supplied to the lamp, consists, as shown, of four dry cells positioned within the casing E, resting on a, plate 25 which is supported by lugs 26 a little above the bottom of the container, so that it, through any possibility, a slight amount of water should gain entrance into the container, the bottoms of the battery cells would not stand in contact therewith. The battery cells, as shown, are connected in series by means of a connecting card consisting of a sheet 21 of insulating material having connecting strips 28a,- 28b and 280 of conducting material secured thereto by eyelets 29 so located on the card that when the batteries are set in position the card may be positioned on top of the cells with the binding posts which project from the top of the cells extending through the eyelets so that the strips 28 will connect the positive terminal of one cell with the negative terminal oi the adjacent cell. The card 21 is secured in position and good contact with the cell terminals 55 contact 41.

assured by means of the usual terminal nuts 30. The terminal nuts are omitted from Fig. 7.

From the positive terminal 3| of the battery cell at one end of the series a connecting strip 32 extends inward to a centrally located contact button 33, and similarly a connecting strip 34 extends from the negative terminal of the cell at the other end of the series and carries a contact button 35. The connecting strips 32 and 34 are flat springstrips tensioned to tend to move their free ends upward away from the card 21. In order to provide a switch for opening and closing the battery circuit as desired, the connecting strip 280 between the positive terminal of one of the cells and the negative terminal of the adjacent cell is connected only to one of said terminals so as to serve .as a pivoted switch, the other battery terminal being provided with a short contact piece 36 the end of which is turned slightly upward so as to permit the switch 280 when turned to contact closing position to slip in beneath it.

The circuit-controlling mechanism C mounted within the closed container 20 comprises a periodic oscillating member and means for maintaming-the oscillations of such member, the oscillating member in the construction shown being a spring balance wheel 40 the oscillations of which are maintained by a spring-driven train acting through an escapement lever 4|. The lamp circuit extends from a contact terminal 42 fixed in the bottom of the container 26 in position to make contact with the terminal button'33, when the parts are assembled, by wire 43 to binding post 44, and thence by a wire 45 to .the bottom'terminal 94 of the lamp socket 23. From the side of the lamp socket, a wire 46 makes connection to a fixed contact 41 with which a movable contact 48 cooperates to open 4 and close the lamp circuit. The movable contact 48 is grounded to the wall of the casing 20 through which connection is made to the battery through the terminal button 35, which, when the parts are assembled, is in contact with the bottom wall of the container.

The balance wheel 40 and the driving train therefor are mounted in a frame comprising side plates 50 and 5| and spacing posts 52, and the frame is secured to a bracket 53 which has one end secured to the bottomof the container 26 and extends upward to the top of the container, having a horizontal extension 54 which carries the lamp post 2|. The fixed contact 41 is se cured to a flat bar 55 of insulating material, and the movable contact 48 is carried by a contact arm 56 which extends from a shaft or spindle 51 mounted in the side plates 50 and 5|. 58 tends to move the contact arm 56 to carry the contact 48 away from the fixed contact 41 to open the lamp circuit. The end of the arm 56 extends through a notch or opening in the plate 55 the edge of which serves as an abutment to limit the circuit opening movement of the arm. I

An actuating arm 60 extends from the movable contact arm 56, or from the spindle 51, into the path of an abutment on the balance wheel 40, the arm 60 being positioned so that, as the balance wheel approaches the end of its oscillation in one direction, the abutment will strike and move the arm 60 to cause the movable contact 48 to move into engagement with the fixed The escapement lever pin 6| convenien'tly serves as the arm-actuating abutment A spring on the balance wheel. The actuating arm 60 is most desirably a spring arm, so as to avoid excessive jarring of the balance wheel and so as to give the desired period of closure of the lamp circuit. By varying the stiffness of the spring arm, the duration of the period of closure of the circuit may be varied as desired, the period being shorter as the spring is stiffer. The lamp circuit will thus be closed and the lamp lighted intermittently at the end of each oscillation in one, direction of the balance wheel 40. The timing of the succession of flashes will be determined by the period of the balance wheel.

This make-and-break device for controlling the lamp circuit has the advantage that the force under which the movable contact moves against the fixed contact is relatively large, while the power consumed in operating the movable contact is relatively very small since the energy required to operate the arm 60 to move the contact 48 and hold it in engagement with the contact 41 is to a large extent returned to the balance wheel as the latter begins its return movement after having been stopped by the resistance of the arm 60. Furthermore, the device has the advantage that, even though the power of the driving train may through any possibility become so relatively weak as to result in the arc of swing of the balance wheel becoming shorter and the interval between circuit closings and flashings of the lamp becoming longer, yet the duration of contact and length of the resulting flashes are not varied by variation of the arc of swing, but remain constant.

The driving train of the. circuit-controlling mechanism is driven by driving means to Which energy is restored at intervals by automatically acting electro-magnetic means which is, most desirably, supplied with current from the same battery which supplies the lamp. As shown in the drawings, the train is driven by a spring 65 which-is tensioned at intervals by the action of an electro-magnet 66. The magnet 66 is mounted on the plate 5| and has an armature 61 pivoted on a pin 68 so as to extend adjacent to the pole 10 of the magnet and to be movable toward and away from the pole.

The driving spring 65 is formed from a. piece of spring wire which is coiled about the pivot pin 68 and has its free end hooked under one of two short arms 1| extending from the free end of the armature 61. The other end of the wire, extending from the coil about the pivot pin 68, is secured so as to hold the spring under suitable tension. The spring will thus tend to move the armature away from the magnet pole, and when the armature is drawn toward the pole the tension of the spring is restored.

A spring arm 12, formed by a piece of spring wire coiled about a pin extending between the armature arms 1|, extends downward and has a bent-over end 13 which serves as a pawl to cooperate with a ratchet wheel 14 on the main driving arbor of the train. The other end of this wire beyond the coil engages beneath the end of the armature to hold the spring arm 12 under tension so that its bent-over end, or pawl, 13 is yieldingly held against the edge of the ratchet wheel 14. As the armature moves upward under tension of the driving spring 65, therefore, the pawl" will move upward and turn the ratchet wheel 14; and when the armature is attracted by the magnet to restore the energy of the driving spring, the pawl will be moved downward to engage a lower notch of the ratchet wheel.

The magnet circuit is controlled and closed at intervals by a make-and-break device actuated by the movement of the armature 61. This device comprises a fixed contact carried by a rigid' the armature 61, extends into an opening 86 in a lug on the contact arm 19, the opening 86 being somewhat wider than the thickness of the arm 85 so as to provide for lost motion between the actuating arm 85 and the arm 19.

When the armature reaches a certain point in its upward movement under pull of the spring 65, the actuating arm 85 comes into engagement with the inner edge of the Opening 86 of the contact arm 19, and on further upward movement of the armature the contact arm is moved inward until its contact 18 comes into engagement with the fixed contact 15, thereby closing the magnet circuit. The armature 61 is then drawn downward by the magnet and the actuating arm 85 swings outward. The actuating arm comes into engagement with the outer edge of the opening 86 of the contact arm 19 before the armature reaches the end of its downward movement, and continued outward movement of the actuating arm as the armature continues its downward movement then moves the contact arm outward to carry its contact 18 away from the fixed contact 15, thereby opening the magnet circuit to deenergize the magnet and release the armature so that the armature may again be moved gradually upward by the spring 65. I

The contact arm 18 is extended upward above the contact 18 and has at its upper end a small plate, or armature, 81 which extends near one end of the magnet pole 18. When the magnet is energized by the closing of its circuit between the contacts 15 and 18, the armature 81 is pulled inward by the magnet and the contact 18 is thereby held tightly against the contact 15 and all possibility of imperfect contact 'is thus avoided.

One end of-the magnet coil is connected to the binding post 44' from which connection is made through the wire 43, terminal 42, and terminal button 33 to one terminal of the battery. The other end of the magnet coil is connected to a binding screw 88 through which connection is made to the bracket 15 which carries the fixed contact 15, and the circuit is completed from the movable contact 18 through the contact arm 19, bracket 8!], binding post 90, and wire 8| to a plate 92 which is in electrical connection with the walls of the container from which connection is made back to the battery through the terminal button 35.

It is important that the mechanism for controlling the lamp circuit to cause the intermittent iiashing of the lamp should be thoroughly protected from any access of moisture, water, or dirt. This mechanism is, therefore, mounted within the closed container 20, and the container is made water tight to guard against the entrance of any moisture or dirt. It is most desirably a cylindrical metal box as shown, having a flanged cover which fits down over the open top of the body of the box and through which the lamp-supporting post 2| extends.

When the controlling mechanism has been assembled within the box and connections made by the wires 45 and 46 to the lamp socket on the post 2|, the cover is placed on the box and is most desirably sealed, as by means of solder, as indicated at 83 in Fig. 2. .This not only insures against the entrance of moisture, but also provides a permanently closed until containing and protecting the parts of the complete apparatus which might be injured by careless or unskillful handling.

The post 2| is secured in a central opening in the cover of the container in any suitable manner to insure a strong, water-tight joint, and the opening at the top of the post through which the wire 46 passes for connection to the outside of the lamp socket in the construction shown, is also sealed in a suitable manner to prevent entrance of moisture. The lamp socket is secured to the top of the post by means of a screw 94, thereby insuring a tight joint at this point.

The container 20 is removably held in position against the under side of the cover H of the battery casing by means of spring clips 85 secured to the cover and adapted to engage beneath a circumferential rib 95 on the side of the container,'the clips being formed with their lower ends' turned outwardly so that the container may be attached to the casing cover II by simply entering the lamp-supported post 2| in the hole in the cover and pushing the container up against the under side of the cover. No angular positioning of the container with respect to the cover about its vertical axis, is required, and i the cover may be readily removed by simply pulling it free from the spring clips.

For securing the cover II to the body III of the battery casing, the body is provided with two undercut ears, or hooks, 91, which are secured at diametrically opposite points to the side of the body, and project above the top edgeof the body, and the cover II is provided with two oppositely positioned ears, or keepers, 98, which extend outwardly from the upper surface of the cover to cooperate with the hooks 91 and have upwardly turned ends adapted to lie outside the upper ends of the hooks. The cover may thus easily and quickly be fastened securely to the body by placing it on the body with its flange extending down about the upper end of the side wall of the body and then turning it to enter its ears 88 beneath the undercut ends of the hooks 91. A padlock 89, having its bow passed through registering openings I00 in the flange of one of the ears 98 and I the upper end of the coacting hook 81, serves to securely hold and lock these parts together and thus prevent the cover II from becoming released by being accidentally or unauthorizedlyturned relatively to the body In.

Instead of using a Fresnel lens of the usual form open at both its upper and lower ends and depending on the cap IZ- to make a top closure for the space within the lens, a lens having an integral top wall I05 is most desirably used. This gives absolute insurance against the entrance of liquid-or moisture at the top of the lens. And in order to further insure against any liquid passing from the space within the lens down through the opening 28 in the top .to insure good electrical contacts.

b g the spring clips, with wall of the casing cover ll through which the lamp-supporting post 2| passes, the edge of this opening 22 is at a level above the bottom edge of the lens, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. In the construction shown, instead of having the top wall of the cover provided with an upwardly extending flange about the opening 22, the edge of the opening is raised above the bottom of the lens by having the central portion of the top wall of the cover upwardly dished. This has the advantage of providing a downwardly sloping surface about the opening. With the edge of the opening 22 above the bottom edge of the lens, any small amount of water which may collect in the bottom of the space within the lens, as from condensation of moisture within said space, is prevented from finding its way through the opening down into the container. With the bottom of the lens seated against a gasket I06, as shown, or other suitable packing, liquid cannot enter beneath the bottom of the lens and the amount of liquid which will collect in the bottom of the lens chamber will be so small that there will be no danger of the liquid level rising to the edge of the opening; and if the joint between the bottom of the lens and the cover wall is such as to permit the entrance of liquid, it would also permit liquid to escape from within the lens, and the higher level of the central opening would in this case also serve as a guard against any liquid that might so enter passing through the opening 22 down into the container.

In assembling the parts of the apparatus, the lens is secured to the cover II, and a lampsupporting and circuit-controlling unit, consisting of the closed container with the circuitcontrolling mechanism mounted therein and a lamp-supporting post 2| mounted thereon, is placed in position against the under side of the top plate of the casing cover I I held by the spring clips 95; and the battery cells are placed in the casing E on the supporting plate 25 connected in series by means of the connecting card 21. The

cover H is then placed and secured on the'casing body I0. When the cover is placed on the casing body, the contact terminal 42 at the center of the bottom of the container 20 comes into engagement with the spring-supported contact button 33, and the spring-supported contact button makes contact with the bottom of the container, both contact buttons being depressed sufiiciently The pressure of the contact buttons against the container also aids in holding the ccmtainer securely in position.

Because of the terminal buttons 33 and 35 making engagement, one with the contact 42 at the center of the bottom of the container and the other making contact with the bottom of the container at a point spaced radially outward from the center, there is no need of having the container turned about its vertical axis to any particular position with relation to the battery or to the battery casing, nor is there any necessity of having the battery oriented, or set in any particular angular relationship to the container. This makes for simplicity in construction and ease in assembling the parts.

And whenthe container is simply placed against the under side of the casing cover H and held the lamp-supporting post extending through the opening 22, the lamp,

because of the top of the container being held against the fiat bearing surface of the under side of the cover and the supporting post fitting ii the opening 22, will necessarily be positioned-bot] vertically and horizontally at the focal point 0 the lens, and no special care or adjustment tr insure proper positi ning of the lamp is required.

In order to renew the battery, it is necessar; only to release and remove the casing cover I I lift out the battery cells and replace them with new ones, and then replace the cover, and no care is required to insure any particular angular relationship between the battery and the container 20 to bring the contacts into register. To renew a lamp bulb, the cover II is removed, the casing 20 pulled away from the cover, and then replaced when anew bulb has been substituted. If the circuit-controlling mechanism requires attention or repair, the lamp and circuit-controlling unit may be removed and replaced with a-new one.

While the particular apparatus shown is espeically intended for use as a portable or hand lantern which may be carried around or conveniently placed in temporary locations, the device shown is, of course, equally applicable for permanent installation, the handle I6 being omitted if desired, when so used. Obviously, also, features of the invention may be embodied in apparatus other than self-contained apparatus in which the battery is contained within a casing forming part of the apparatus. It will be understood also that the invention is not to be limited to the exact construction and arrangement of parts shown, but that it includes changes and modifications thereof within the claims. 3

The electrically energized driving mechanism shown and described herein is claimed per se in Patent No. 1,878,076, dated September 20, 1932. granted on my application Serial No. 345,193. The circuit controlling mechanism shown and de- 4 scribed herein is claimed per se in my application Serial No. 695,402, filed October 27,1933, as a division of this application. a

What I claim is:

1. A flashing lantern, comprising an electric 45 lamp, an enclosure therefor, a battery casing having a removable top on which the lamp enclosure is mounted, a battery within the casing for supplying current to the lamp, a hermetically sealed container mounted within the battery casing, means for removably mounting said container, a lamp support extending from said container through an opening in the top of the battery casing, circuit connections between the battery and the lamp, and means for intermittently closing the lamp circuit, mounted with said container and connected in the lamp circuit between the battery and the lamp.

2. A flashing lantern, comprising a battery casing having a removable cover, a Fresnel lens mounted on the casing cover, a hermetically sealed container within the battery casing, means for removably securing said container to the unzder side of said casing cover, a lamp support mounted on said container and extending through an opening in said casing cover, an electric lamp on said lamp support positioned at the focus of the Fresnel lens, a battery within the battery casing, circuit connections between the battery and the lamp, and circuit-controlling means within said container connected in the lamp clrq cuit between the battery and the lamp for intermittently closing the circuit to said lamp. I

3. A flashing lantern, comprising a battery case ing having a removable wall portion, a Fresnel 75 lens mounted on the casing, a lamp-supporting and circuit-controlling unit comprising a closed container and a lamp support extending from the container and circuit-controlling mechanism within the container for intermittently closing the lamp circuit momentarily, circuit connections for providing a lamp circuit between a battery within the battery casing and a lamp on the support, and means for removably securing said unit within the battery casing with the lamp support extending through an opening in the wall of the casing in position to support an electric lamp at the focus of the Fresnel lens.

4. A flashing lantern, comprising a Fresnel lens, a wall on which the lens is mounted, a lamp-sup porting and circuit-controlling unit comprising a closed container and a lamp support extending from the top of the container and provided with a lamp socket and circuit-controlling mechanism within the container and circuit connections between the controlling mechanism and the lamp socket, and holding means extending from said wall for engaging and removably holding the container beneath said wall, said wall having an opening concentric with the vertical axis of the lens and being formed to provide a seat for the top of the container, whereby when the container is placed against the wall with its lamp support passing through said opening the lamp support will be positioned to support a lamp at the focus of the lens.

5. A flashing lantern, comprising a battery casing having a removable wall portion, a Fresnel lens mounted on the casing, a lamp-supporting and circuit-controlling unit within the casing comprising a closed container and a lamp support extending from the container and provided with a lamp socket and circuit-controlling mechanism within the container connected in the lamp circuit for intermittently closing the lamp circuit momentarily, means for removably mounting said unit within the battery casing with its lamp support extending through an opening in the casing wall in position to support a lamp at the focus of the lens, a centrally located insulated contact terminal located in the bottom of the container, the lamp circuit extending from said contact terminal to one terminal of the lamp socket and from the other terminal of the lamp socket to the lamp support and then back to the bottom wall of the container, and a battery mounted within the battery casing and having a central terminal to make contact with the central contact terminal of said container and a terminal spaced laterally from the central terminal to make contact with the bottom of the container,'whereby proper con? nections will be established between the battery and the lamp circuit when the container is in place, irrespective of the relative angular positions of the container and thebattery.

6. A flashing lantern, comprising a battery casing having a removable wall portion, a lens mounted on the casing, a lamp-supporting and circuit-controlling unit comprising a closed container and a lamp support extending from the container and circuit-controlling mechanism within the container connected in the lamp circuit for intermittently closing the lamp circuit momentarily, means for removably securing said unit within the battery casing with the lamp support extending through an opening in the wall of the casing in position to support an electric lamp at the focus of the lens, and circuit connections for providing a lamp circuit between a. battery within the battery casing and a lamp on the lamp support.

7. A flashing lantern, comprising a battery casing having a removable wall portion, a lamp enclosure mounted on said casing, a battery within the casing for supplying current to the lamp, a container having a lamp support mounted thereon, means for removably mounting the container within the battery casing with its lamp support extending through an opening in the casing wall to support a lamp within said lamp enclosure, circuit controlling means connected in the lamp circuit for intermittently closing the lamp circuit mounted within said container, and circuit connections providing a lamp circuit between the battery and a lamp on the lamp support.

8. A flashing lantern, comprising a battery casing, a lamp enclosure mounted on said casing, a lamp support extending upward through an opening in the top wall of the casing within the lamp enclosure and removable from below said top wall, means for removably securing said lamp support to said top wall, and circuit connections for providing a lamp circuit between a battery within the battery casing and a lamp on the lamp support, the edge of said opening in said top well being above the bottom of the lamp enclosure.

CHARLES F. WALLACE. 

